1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to nail clippers. More particularly, the present invention relates to nail clippers that include a safety shield to prevent injury to the flesh that is proximate the nail being clipped.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Nail clippers are traditionally made of metal, usually steel, and have a complicated structure. Typically, clippers are not ready for immediate use when needed because they must be reconfigured from a storage configuration to a operable configuration.
Further, nail clippers generally lack any safety features. A user may push a nail too far into the device such that flesh located proximate the nail is imposed between the blades. Actuation of the nail clipper then causes a flesh wound. This problem can be especially great when a clipper is used on an infant or on a small child. The finger or toe of the infant and the nail are so small and it is so difficult to see if the tip of the finger or toe is between the blades, yet an infant's nails must be clipped in order to prevent the child from scratching himself. Clipping an infant's nails is an experience of high anxiety for a parent. Some parents resort to trimming an infants nails by biting them out of reluctance to use a conventional nail trimmer and risk injury to the infant.
When either using a clipper on oneself or another, lack of fine motor control can result in injury. A conventional clipper is difficult to use for people without full and free mobility, such as those with arthritis or carpal tunnel syndrome. A substantial force, as well as dexterity and coordination, are often required in order to compress the blades so that the nails can be clipped, which can be difficult and painful for people with hand-related problems. The reduced force and coordination required to operate the invention, coupled with its safety feature, allows children and others to efficiently operate the device.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,986,257 by Kiura discloses a nail clipper which includes a nail repository between the handles of the device. The cutting edges are located at the far end of the device rather than on the side of the device.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,616,436 by Langley discloses a clipper with a pair of side shearing elements located halfway between the hinged end and the opposite end of the handles. The invention does not disclose any safety measures to insure that the tip of the finger or toe is not caught within the shearing means during clipping operation.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,999,506 by Hunt discloses another nail clipper with a side shearing element. This clipper again does not include any safety features to exclude the tip of the digit being clipped.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,315,354 by Oates discloses a combination of two traditionally configured nail clippers one of a larger and one of a smaller size, one to be used for finger nails and the other to be used for cuticles. The shearing element is located at the end rather than the side of the device.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,648,415 discloses another nail clipper with the shearing elements located on the end of the device. That clipper includes a nail clipping repository to conveniently collect the clippings. However, it does not include any safety features.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,189,996 by Casey, Jr., discloses a nail clipper with a protective guard. The protective guard in this invention is only utilized for protection during storage of the device. When the device is arranged for use, the protective guard does nothing to keep the operator from being injured.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,420,047 by Plaskon, discloses a clipper with side shearing means near the hinged end of the clipper, but providing for no safety means.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,043,901 by Willetts, discloses a clipper with the shearing blades located closer to the open ends of the handles distal from the fulcrum point.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,819,673 by McMullen, Jr., discloses a nail clipper with a side shearing device and in one of the embodiments includes a nail repository for severed nails. Another embodiment includes a hinged means, the other includes a malleable material means for causing the clipper handles to resume their original parallel configuration after use.
There is a need for a nail clipper design that is easy and safe to use on infants and small children without the problem of inadvertently cutting the flesh that is proximate the nail that is being cut. Additionally, there is a need for a nail clipper that is easily and safely used by persons that lack the fine motor control that is necessary for the operation of conventional nail clippers and affords the maximum degree of safety with respect to the potential of causing a flesh wound.